NWSL Gotham, Dove Multi-Platform Alliance Plans To ‘Keep Girls In The Game’
Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 03:58PM By Barry Janoff
February 13, 2025: A new alliance between the NWSL NJ/NY Gotham FC and Unilever’s Dove brand features a jersey-back sponsorship, but it is putting young women in front with its strategy and motivation.
Calling it a move that would “support girls in sports, primarily through the team’s "Keep Her in the Game" initiative,” Dove has signed a multi-platform alliance with Gotham FC, describing it as the brand’s first major investment in a women’s sports team and including what was positioned as the “largest back-of-jersey sponsorship in NWSL history.”
Financial terms were not shared.
Industry analysts said the previous NWSL back-of-jersey sponsorship record was more than $500,000 in 2024 between then expansion club Bay FC and private equity firm Sixth Street Partners, the team’s majority owner.
“Dove is the ultimate leader in female strength and empowerment, and we could not be prouder to partner with the brand in a number of impactful ways,” Ryan Dillon, Gotham FC chief business officer, said via the club.
“We are excited to team up with Dove to create key pathways for young female athletes to stay in sports, develop confidence and become strong future leaders.
All NWSL teams have jersey-front sponsors and many have jersey-back and/or sleeve sponsors.
Gotham FC’s jersey-front sponsor is CarMax, its jersey-sleeve sponsor Ally.
“We are honored to represent their tireless work with key jersey placement,” said Dillon. “The partnership is taking effect at a crucial time when supporting girls in sports has never been more important.”
The Gotham FC alliance comes on the heels of Dove running a 30-second spot during Super Bowl LIX, “These Legs.”
The spot was anchored by a re-mix of Bruce Springsteen's “Born to Run," 50 years after its original release, with an instrumental accompaniment by Grammy and Oscar award-winning singer, songwriter and producer H.E.R.
Dove said the ad was meant to “raise awareness of the impact negative body talk can have on girls in sports. Inspired by the findings that nearly half of girls who drop out of sports are criticized for their body type, (it had) an important message about boosting body confidence in young athletes.”
“Dove is proud to partner with Gotham FC, a team of the highest competitive caliber composed of some of the world’s strongest, most respected athletes,” Laura DiMiceli, Unilever North America head of pPersonal care sports marketing, said via the company.
“The data is clear: Sports build confidence, leadership skills and resilience in young women, benefiting them for years to come.”
Launched in August 2024, Keep Her in the Game “directly addresses why girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys by age 14.”
Gotham FC said the program “equips coaches with specialized training and a research-based curriculum, gives parents practical tools to raise resilient young athletes and provides moments of joy and connection for the youth players themselves.”
In its inaugural season, Keep Her in the Game reached more than 500 youth players and engaged 30 local club teams. The initiative’s plans for Spring 2025 include expanding the program to reach 1,000 girls and establishing a Youth Leadership Council.
Launched in October 2023, Dove’s Body Confident Sport program is available via the Dove Self-Esteem Project, which has offered free, evidence-based resources for parents, teachers, mentors and kids since 2004.
To date, Dove said the Self-Esteem Project has reached more than 114 million young people globally across 153 countries.
Dove has also assembled the Body Confident Collective, influential female voices in sports to support the Body Confident Sport program, and “inspire young athletes to feel more confident while playing the sports they love.”
They include Billie Jean King, Sabrina Ionescu, Venus Williams, Odessa Jenkins (founder of the Women's National Football Conference) and U.S. tennis star Emma Navarro.
“As the No. 1 provider globally of body confidence and self-esteem education, Dove is committed to supporting Keep Her in the Game as part of our overall mission to help young girls pursue sports and keep playing the games they love,” said DiMiceli.
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